


Alternative Route To The Same End

by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)



Series: Renovations [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M, canon AU, s03e22 - Hoʻopio (To Take Captive)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:30:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 3,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2372894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsbitca/pseuds/Moonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles dealing with what could have happened if Danny beating Beckett for information about the girl he had buried had consequences on his job.</p><p>Can be read as a stand-alone. Diverges from canon at s03e22 - Hoʻopio (To Take Captive) and Steve and Danny are in a committed relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While I've been working on the last two chapters of 'McGarretts Say It Better' I been unable to stop thinking about this divergence from canon where Danny is fired and he and Steve go down a different path in season four. I knew I couldn't do it as a full blown story but I thought it could work at a drabble. I’ve got twelve of them written so far. I’ll just post them whenever the mood strikes while I keep trying to work out just how to write the end of 'McGarretts Say It Better’.  
> I hope you enjoy :)

The Governor pushed the thick stack of paperwork across the table. “Detective Williams is on administrative leave pending the Internal Affairs investigation.”

Steve yanked the paperwork into his lap and flicked through it. “You are supposed to be supporting us in bringing these criminals to justice.”

“Detective Williams is still a police officer, he used excessive force to obtain answers. Beckett is suing.”

“So, we have immunity and means only to pursue people who aren’t litigious?”

Governor Denning rubbed at his forehead. “You cannot believe that Detective Williams’ actions were justified.”

“We saved Ella,” Steve said firmly. 

Denning sighed tiredly.


	2. Chapter 2

“He’s right,” Danny said, sliding his gun, badge, and identification over the table to Steve. 

“No!” Steve argued.

“Yes,” Danny said. “I did the wrong thing and if they take my badge I would understand.”

“Danny,” Kono said. “You saved Ella.”

“By beating someone for information.” Chin tilted his head at Danny and the blonde sighed. “I’ve always been a hot-head. I learned to let my anger out slowly after I got in trouble as a teenager – which then got me into trouble with Rachel. I feel like I crossed a line here and…perhaps I shouldn’t still be a cop.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Why?” Steve asked, the moment they walked through the door. 

Danny sighed. “I beat him for information. What gives me the right to decide who is a bad enough person that physical violence is okay?”

“He kidnapped young girls and held them hostage. He killed Amanda.”

“I know.”

“He wanted to use Ella as _leverage_.”

“I know,” Danny groaned, “and that is the only reason I can look at myself in the mirror.”

“He’s not worth your badge.”

“You knew it was wrong, Steve, you took my badge off me.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“I was wrong.”


	4. Chapter 4

Steve walked in while Danny was drying himself. 

“Yes, babe?”

“It wasn’t wrong.”

“It was,” Danny said, wrapping a towel around his body. “I understand that in the SEALs your code is different but I’m a cop.”

“Exactly, what are you going to do if you’re not a cop anymore?”

Danny shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You love being a cop.”

“But I don’t think I should be one if I can’t stay on the right side of the law.”

“You didn’t break the law.”

“I think you need to read the HPD Code of Conduct.”

“I’m not HPD.”

“But I am.”


	5. Chapter 5

Steve pulled himself up in bed. “Danny.”

“Yeah?” Danny asked, without uncovering his head. 

“Why is this such a big deal?”

Danny threw his covers off. “You do understand that violence doesn’t solve anything, right?”

Steve looked sceptical. 

“Babe.”

“It solves some things.”

“Like?”

“Bullying in the playground.”

Danny groaned. “Do not tell Grace that.”

“And it certainly stops people doing illegal things. Some people only respond to violence.”

“Because they’ve only known violence.”

“Exactly.”

“But if they hadn’t been taught that violence is acceptable then talking would work.”

“Talking doesn’t always work.” 

“But it should be the first option.”


	6. Chapter 6

Steve poked Danny in the shoulder until he woke up.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Danny sighed and turned to look at Steve. “I’ve never told you about my teenage years. I was a mass of angry violence. I got into fights, I was out drinking most nights, I was a nightmare. It took a lot for Ma and Pop to snap me out of it. I’ve worked hard to not be angry like that again. I almost got there with Rachel. I crossed that line again and it scared me, Steve. I have to be in control of this.”


	7. Chapter 7

Steve handed Danny a piece of paper.

“What’s this, babe?”

Danny unfolded the paper and saw that it was a printed flyer for an anger management support group.

“Steve.”

“If I can help, I want to. I don’t think you should be suspended or investigated but if this is an issue we’ll fix it.”

“It’s not a fixable thing, just something I need to control.”

“With my help.”

“With your _support_.”

Steve smiled. “Good.”

Danny looked at the flyer again and then dropped it onto the table before he pulled Steve down next to him. “Thank you, babe.”

Steve preened.


	8. Chapter 8

“Grace,” Danny said, looking at her seriously. “I’m in trouble at work and I’ve been suspended.”

Grace looked horrified, turning to look at Steve quickly. “What happened?”

“There was a man who knew where someone was being hurt and I made him tell me. Now I need to explain what happened to Steve’s boss.”

Grace’s face crumbled into worry causing Steve’s chest to tighten.

“It will be okay, monkey. It just means we’ll have more time to spend together for a while.”

Grace didn’t look convinced, Danny pulled her in a hug, and Steve wrapped his arms around them both.


	9. Chapter 9

Danny sat in the support group meeting that Steve had found and wanted to knock himself out. He had come for Steve but he had known that it wasn’t going to work. After he had been arrested, and released, by one of his Pop’s friends and realised that he might just loose his scholarship for university, and all hope of being a cop, he’d tried groups like this. In the end it had been a therapist that got him to talk it out constantly rather than letting it bottle up over time. It was the only thing that had helped.


	10. Chapter 10

“How’d it go?” Steve asked the moment Danny walked through the door. 

Danny tried to smile but Steve’s face fell. 

“I didn’t say anything.”

Steve shrugged. “I know you better than that.”

“They were all talking about their feelings.”

“You make me talk about my feelings,” Steve pointed out.

“Yeah, but I care about your feelings, I don’t care about theirs.”

Steve laughed. “That’s the point, you all talk, listen, and are compassionate.”

“I know.”

“Okay, plan B then,” Steve said firmly. 

Danny looked at Steve sharply. “Plan B?”

“Yoga.”

“No.”

“It has proven benefits for mood and health.”

“No!”


	11. Chapter 11

Danny grumbled and glared but he walked into the yoga class next to Steve. He hated working out with Steve. Between being a SEAL and being tall, fit, and gorgeous the other man made Danny feel like a homunculus when they were working out together. 

Danny just knew Steve was going to be excellent at this and Danny knew he was going to be terrible but he wouldn’t be able to give up. Just like surfing he was going to have to make this part of his life. 

“It will be fun,” Steve said.

“Oh yeah, a ball,” Danny agreed.


	12. Chapter 12

Danny glared at the woman running the yoga class. She couldn’t see him. She was too busy ‘helping’ Steve achieve the position. The _equestrian pose_. Danny was positive it wasn’t part of a normal beginner’s class. She was doing this deliberately so that she could get her hands on Steve. Steve was the only one who had been able to get into the position – no one else looked even close and yet she was helping Steve.

Danny forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly, as she had shown him, letting the annoyance out with it.


	13. Chapter 13

“What did you think?” Steve asked. 

“I don’t like her.”

“What did you think of the yoga?”

“It was stretchy.”

Steve made a noise close to a grunt. 

“It was good.”

Steve beamed at him. 

“I’d be interested in trying out the hot yoga…assuming Miranda isn’t the one taking the class.”

“Why don’t you like her?”

“She was hitting on you the whole time.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “So?”

“I didn’t like it.”

“Okay, we’ll find a different teacher. But, we’ll keep going?”

“Yeah, we’ll keep going.”

Danny smiled at Steve who looked stupidly pleased with himself – the big goof.


	14. Chapter 14

“Do you want to practise some of the yoga moves?” Steve asked, when he walked into the bedroom after his shower. 

“No.”

Steve stalked over and invaded Danny’s space. “Are you sure?”

“I just had a shower.”

“So?” Steve asked, sliding his hand along Danny’s side.

Danny laughed. “Which move were you planning on practising?”

“Downward facing Danny?”

“Oh, babe,” Danny said, shaking his head. “How did you ever get the name Smooth Dog with lines like that?”

“It worked on you, I can tell.”

Danny shook his head but he allowed himself to be pulled in for a kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

“Detective Williams,” the head of the Internal Affairs Investigation Panel said, looking down at him over the top of her glasses. “We have reviewed the statements made by yourself and your colleagues, as well as the recommendations made following the Internal Affairs investigation. It is the decision of this panel that you be given ten days to tender your resignation from the Honolulu Police Department. If at the end of this time you have failed to do so your employment with HPD, and the Governor’s Task Force, will be terminated.”

Danny nodded while Steve’s grip on his hand tightened painfully.


	16. Chapter 16

“We’ll fight this,” Steve said, stalking around the middle of the Five-0 offices.

“No, we won’t.”

“Danny,” Kono said. “They are wrong.”

“I love being a cop. But if I can’t do it within the law then I don’t want to do it. I’ll be fine.”

Steve looked at Danny like he looked at case files he knew were dead ends and Danny wanted to smack him for it. He would be fine. He would need to think of something else to do with his life but he would be fine. Of course he was going to be fine. _Fine._


	17. Chapter 17

Governor Denning looked solemn as he walked into Danny’s…the office Danny was packing up. 

“Governor.”

“I wanted to let you know I was disappointed with the decision of Internal Affairs.”

Danny let out a huff of breath. “So was I.”

“I don’t disagree with the need to hold the HPD members of this Task Force to HPD standards though.”

Danny nodded. “Neither do I.”

Steve stormed into the room. “Governor.”

“Commander, I do hope you’ve accepted my decision not to allow you to throw yourself on the pyre with Danny.”

“What?” Danny asked, looking at Steve.

Steve shrugged. 

“Steven.”


	18. Chapter 18

Danny closed his eyes and put the phone on speaker. “Rachel.”

“You’ve lost your job.”

“I know.”

“You were given extra visitation privileges because-”

“Rachel, I’m currently unemployed, that does not change anything about what I can offer Grace, my ability to provide a stable home, and life, for her here or anything else.”

“You were kicked off the force,” Rachel said with deadly calm. 

“Actually,” Steve said, yanking Danny’s hand towards his face, “he resigned from HPD and I am more than capable of supporting both of us, and Grace.”

Steve hung up on Rachel looking pleased. 

“Babe.”

“What?”


	19. Chapter 19

Steve sat at one end of the couch watching Danny. 

“What are you doing, babe?”

Steve turned back to the TV. “Nothing.”

Danny sighed. “I am not going to suddenly break down, okay, I am completely fine.”

“How? You were fired.”

“I do believe you argued to my ex-wife that I resigned.”

Steve huffed at Danny, folding his arms over his chest. 

Danny nudged Steve with his toe. “Babe, I’m fine.”

Steve nodded. 

“Babe.”

“We should talk about our plans.”

“We’re going to get married in two weeks like we planned. Then I’ll look for a job.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where the frack did those two extra words come from?


	20. Chapter 20

Danny yanked the shirt over his head and waded into the water. He rubbed at his forearms trying to get the white paint off before he dived down, swimming away from the beach. When he couldn’t stand anymore he twisted around and floated on his back letting the sun beat down on him. 

“Danny?” 

Danny stood up and walked towards Steve who was standing on the beach, hands on his hips. “Hey, babe.”

“You painted the house.”

“Only one coat, I’ll do another tomorrow.”

Steve frowned. 

“I made lasagne for dinner too. Should be ready after you’ve had a swim.”


	21. Chapter 21

“He painted the house on Friday.”

“Which room?” Kono asked. 

“The entire outside of the house, then he did a second coat on Saturday.”

“And on the seventh day,” Kono laughed. 

“He suggested we go for a drive and then go hiking. He packed a picnic lunch.”

“Danny wanted to go hiking?”

“Yes.”

Chin nodded slowly. “Very strange.”

“He’s planning our honeymoon at the moment,” Steve continued. 

“Shouldn’t you be doing that together?” Kono asked. 

“Oh no,” Steve said. “We’ve discussed what we want to do and now he’s scheduling it.”

Kono looked at Chin. “Scheduling it?”

“Yes, scheduling it.”


	22. Chapter 22

“Gracie!” 

She threw her arms around Steve’s middle and hugged him tightly. 

“Did you have a good day at school?”

“I did and Danno told me about this weekend, I’m so excited.”

Steve looked up at Danny who grinned back at him. 

“What are we doing this weekend, Danno?”

“Camping,” Grace blurted out. 

“Camping?”

“Up at that place you said we should take Gracie snorkelling,” Danny explained. “My family gets in Tuesday and then it will all be about the wedding so I thought this would be fun.”

“Aren’t you excited, Steve?”

Steve looked at Grace and nodded. “Of course."


	23. Chapter 23

“Danny organised a camping weekend for us,” Steve told Kamekona.

“That doesn’t seem like him, brah.”

Steve looked down at the shrimp in front of him. “It isn’t.”

“He’s anchorless,” Kamekona said, nodding. “It’ll get better.”

“I don’t know what to do to make it better.”

“You just gotta be there, brah.”

Kamekona patted Steve on the shoulder and walked away. 

“You’re trying to get advice from him?” 

“Cath,” Steve said with surprise. 

“Have you tried talking to Danny instead of Kamekona?”

“Danny said he’s fine.”

Cath groaned. “And you believed him?”

“No.”

“Then talk to him.”

Steve sighed. “Okay.”


	24. Chapter 24

“Hey, Danny, I’m home,” Steve called out when he walked through the door. 

“Babe, I’m in the studio.”

Steve walked through the house to find Danny sitting in his painting clothes, a smudge of green paint on the back of his neck just where his hair stopped. He looked relaxed and happy and Steve decided not to say anything tonight. 

“How was your day?” Danny asked, turning and smiling at Steve. 

“Okay,” Steve said, not wanting to go into too much detail. 

Danny nodded and turned back to the painting. “Okay.”

“I’m going to swim.”

“Okay,” Danny didn’t turn around.


	25. Chapter 25

Danny was sitting on the beach when Steve surfaced from the water. 

“Good swim?”

Steve nodded, walking towards him. 

“Want to barbecue something for dinner.”

“Sure, sounds good.”

“And we can talk about this weekend?”

“I thought you had it planned.”

“I suggested we do it, you’re the one with survivalist training.”

Steve laughed. “Seems pretty reasonable. Is that why you came down?”

“I was going to see if you wanted company in the shower.”

“I like that idea even better,” Steve said, kissing Danny. 

“I thought you might.”

Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and pulled him up to the house.


	26. Chapter 26

Danny knew he was not fine. 

He’d always known he was never going to be fine. 

He was supposed to be a cop. 

He had always wanted to be a cop – he’d been pretending to be a cop since he was four and got his first toy cop costume. 

Danny didn’t know what to do with himself if he wasn’t a cop.

He didn’t know what to do and Steve was walking on eggshells around him – they were very deliberately **not fighting**. Danny was about ready to rip his own hair out. 

He needed to find a new purpose…immediately.


	27. Chapter 27

“We need to talk,” Danny said, sitting on the end of the bed while Steve was getting dressed.

“Is it about your beard? I like it.”

Danny smirked. “I worked that out from you asking me to rub it against your hip last night.”

“I want to be clear. It’s good.”

“It’s about me. I know you’re walking on eggshells.”

Steve sat down.

“When we get back from the honeymoon I will find a new job.”

“There’s no rush, I can-”

“It’s not just about money, babe. I need to actually be doing something.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it.”

“Yep.”

“Thank you.”


	28. Chapter 28

“Hey, Boss-man,” Kono paused. “…you looking for new jobs, Steve?”

“No,” Steve closed the internet window on his screen. “What do you want, Kono?”

“You’re late; you should have left ten minutes ago.”

Steve looked at the clock. “Damn.”

Steve shut down the computer and rushed around grabbing everything he would need.

“You’d think you’d want to make a good impression on the new in-laws.”

“They know me already.”

“If you say so.”

Steve glared at her and rushed out of the office but he could hear Kono talking to Chin.

“Steve’s searching for jobs for Danny.”

“Course he is.”


	29. Chapter 29

“Ma!” Danny called out, waving.

Steve turned around and smiled when he spotted Danny’s family.

“Daniel, Steven,” Lizzie said, dropping her bag and wrapping her arms around them in turn. 

“Hello, Lizzie,” Steve said, smiling. 

She patted him on the cheek and pulled him back into another hug. 

“You lost your job,” Lily scolded, hands on hips. “This better mean you’re giving me more great-grandchildren.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Hi, Nana.”

“Where is Gracie?” Chris asked. 

“At school, we can go and pick her up this afternoon.”

“Good, now I want to see this house you renovated together.”

“Okay, Ma.”


	30. Chapter 30

“This is it,” Danny said, waving a hand. 

Steve made a face at Danny. “That’s not how you show family around, Danno.”

“You’re right, Steven,” Lily said, sliding her arm through Steve’s elbow. “You should show us around instead.”

“Of course, Gracie helped us paint everywhere but through here is the kitchen – I think you might recognise it, Lizzie.”

Lizzie grabbed his arm and pulled him into a hug. “It’s perfect.”

Steve froze for a heartbeat, then Lily was elbowing him and he returned the hug. 

“Come on, Ma,” Danny said. “There’s more to see.”

Lizzie pulled back and nodded.


	31. Chapter 31

Danny watched Kono out of the corner of his eye. She walked towards the kitchen and then froze and walked away. 

“Hey, rookie,” Danny called out. 

Kono walked into the room. “Yeah, Danny?”

“What do you want?”

Kono looked at him sheepishly. 

“Ex-cop,” Danny explained. 

Kono huffed and walked over to sit down in front of him. “How did you know Steve was the right person for you?”

Danny smiled. “I suppose the thing is, Kono, I never asked myself.”

“What?”

“He’s Steve and he’s always been _Steve_.”

“So?”

“So him being the right person was never even a question.”


	32. Chapter 32

Steve ducked into the kitchen. “Lily wants to know if you’re squeezing the lemons by hand.”

Danny rolled his eyes. Kono smiled and darted from the room like she’d never been there. 

“What’s up with Kono?”

“Not sure,” Danny explained, handing Steve the jug. “Come on, let’s go and stop Nana from…oh, she and Kono in a room together is so going to send me grey.”

Steve huffed. “What’s wrong with grey?”

Danny tugged Steve down into a kiss. “Nothing, babe.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re the one who shaved it off.”

“And you demanded I grow it out.”

“I have good taste.”


	33. Chapter 33

“Why did you want to know?” Danny asked when he finally tracked Kono down later.

“I don’t think…Adam…I’m not sure and everything is getting more complicated.”

“Then you know what you need to do.”

“I’m not sure,” Kono said again and Danny’s heart ached for her. 

“Yes, you are.”

Kono nodded slowly. “I don’t want to be sure.”

Danny swallowed heavily and sat. “Just before I found out about Stan and Rachel I realised that we were over, we were over in the way some marriages are. I was so fucking hurt but I knew. So do you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”


	34. Chapter 34

“Ma.”

“Yes, Daniel?”

“What do you think?” 

Lizzie smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. “I wish you were at home with me…but I like them all.”

“Thanks, Ma,” Danny said, hugging her back.

“Your dad likes them too,” Lizzie said as she pulled back revealing Chris standing behind her. 

Danny huffed a laugh. 

“Thanks, Pop.”

“I especially like that Chin,” his father offered.

“And your Nana loves Kono.”

“That’s going to be a terrible partnership,” Danny told her. “Terrible.”

Lizzie huffed out a laugh. “I’ve never seen your Nana make friends with anyone when it wasn’t terrible.”


	35. Chapter 35

Chris walked outside and sat next to his son, he could just see Steve out in the ocean. 

“Hey, Pop, what’s up?”

“He go swimming every morning?”

“Yeah.”

Chris looked around the lanai and got comfortable before he started talking. “You okay, son?”

Danny turned to look at his father. “Yeah, why?”

“The job.”

Danny grimaced. “I’m sorry, Pop.”

Chris shook his head. “You’re okay…money wise?”

Danny nodded. “I’ve got some savings and Steve is a firm believer in sharing everything. Something about supporting me makes him weirdly happy.”

“He loves you.”

“I know.”

“Your mother is worried about you.”


End file.
